Thursday, February 18, 2010

It's All About Taste

It occurred to me about a month ago that all of the steps in the publishing process come down to one thing: personal taste.

You can write the most brilliant novel ever about sea slugs, and if you only submit it to one agent, and that agent happens to detest sea slugs, it won't get published.

Or perhaps you'll find an agent who is crazy about sea slugs and loves your chatty MC and thinks the story is wonderful, but when he submits it to editors, one editor doesn't like the chatty MC, and one likes the MC, but thinks the story is lame, and another just hates sea slugs.

And then if you manage to sell the book you have to worry about reviewers who hate sea slugs or chatty MC's or books with alternating points of view. And then readers... you get the point.

Every person in this world has their own set of likes and dislikes. I dislike books where people seem to fall in love/infatuation for no clear reason. This scenario drives me crazy. But there are a lot of books like this that are popular, so just because I don't like them doesn't mean someone else (or millions of someone elses) won't.

I think it's important to remember when you query agents, or your agent submits to editors, that in the end it comes down to taste. The agent has to love your book in order to take it on. And if one agent doesn't love it, that doesn't mean it isn't great. It could be the hottest book since Harry Potter, but it just didn't fit with that agent's interests. I think this is why we're told over and over again to query widely.

So there you go. Don't feel bad about rejection, it's all (or at least a lot) about personal taste.

Have you ever read a bestseller that you hated? Or have you ever read a quiet little book that you loved?

I was supposed to unplug this week, but I didn't. So, I'm going to officially unplug tomorrow and stay unplugged until a week from Monday. I'll miss you!

My goal during unplugged time will be to FINALLY finish this first draft. It's close. I just need some time to focus.

Taste is definitely the deciding factor that many aspiring writers often overlook when submitting to agents/editors. That's the cause of many dissatisfied (and sometimes rathe mean) comments about the multitude of "bad" books out there that get published. Those books too have avid readers who don't consider them "bad" at all.

It really helps to realize that one one agent or editor is the be all, end all of the publishing world, though it might feel like that sometimes when one's receiving rejection after rejection.

There's one best seller I read recently that still has me grinding my teeth with rage. A great idea flushed down the toilet, but selling anyway because it's a great idea.

Taste is important, but I think attempts to anticipate the tastes of others plays a bigger role in rejection. Editors will turn down books they love if they suspect other publishing houses won't buy co-editions, for example. The whole publishing industry is built on trying to imagine what's going on in someone else's mind.

Yup. I agree. Are you trying to say something with the sea slug analogy? lol. And you know all about a recent "great" book I haven't been able to get halfway through. It's all subjective.You deserve an unplug week. Maybe I'll unplug too.

I'm usually only surprised by some of the incredibly sweeping statements people make about their own tastes. "I don't read 1st-person narratives." Really? REALLY? NEVER?

Bestsellers I hated (but read all the way through anyway, because I felt like I would be missing out on the ability to talk with people if I hadn't read them): The DaVinci Code, Jodi Picoult's Handle With Care.

I read 5-6 books a month. I'm always hoping they will be as good as they look. Yet, they are often disappointing. I sometimes wish I could turn my books into a writer's Better Business Bureau and get my money back. I guess that's why book reviews are so important.

I know this is going to sound unpopular (especially in midst of a such a strong female crowd) but I have, in fact, read a popular best seller that I HATED. Twilight. I can't stand it.

Maybe it is the fact that the hero/damsel in distress concept doesn't make sense here. Could have something to do with the fact that Edward is cold, controlling and stalkerish (he watches her sleep without her knowing it for crying out loud). Maybe I don't understand why so many girls pine away for that kind of hero.

Or it could be the fact that literally nothing happens in the first book and I'm jealous of her success. Either/or.

Subjectivity is the curse of the writer. One could dwell on it 24/7 if given a mind. When it disheartens, I think about a world where there is no subjectivity, where we're all the same, where there's no reason for personal choice. Then I take a moment and thank God for subjectivity.

Note to Derek: I hated the Twilight series for the exact reasons you mention, but I can't fault it for attracting young readers. Whatever works.

Anyway, true true, Natalie. I've had those same thoughts. So really, if you think about it, the fact that a book makes it to the shelves really does say something. They had to impress not just one person's personal, subjective taste, but several. It's like finding needles in four or five haystacks. You gotta give every published book props on that basis alone.

I've read many MG and YA books that I don't care for, but surprisingly, when young readers ask me for recommendations, some of these books come to mind for that particular person. It's great when they come back and tell me they loved it.

Most excellent words. Far too many books in certain genres have left me scratching my head going "this is quality control?" Marketing and the subjectivity are all things authors need to take note of and to *try* and not take personally.

About Me

I'm a mother of four who loves gardening, trips to the beach, and books that aren't boring. I write novels for children and young adults. My writing is represented by Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary Agency.